Smart Drug Pen Inertial Sensor Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current insulin therapy and blood glucose monitoring systems lack integration, making it difficult for patients and healthcare providers to manage diabetes effectively, with challenges in tracking insulin administration and compliance, and requiring manual logs and separate devices.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery pen with a microprocessor, inertial sensor, and RFID tag that automatically records and communicates insulin delivery data, integrates with a data management unit to track insulin administration history, compliance, and provides reminders, simplifying diabetes management and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual logbooks are used to track insulin administration, then patients can record their own data, but the process is time-consuming and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual logging system with an electronic automated tracking system. The drug delivery device incorporates sensors, processors, and memory that automatically detect and record injection events, eliminating the need for manual paper logbooks and reducing both time consumption and human error in data tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the drug delivery device to automatically monitor and record its own usage without external intervention. The device detects injection events through sensors, stores data in memory, and can wirelessly transmit information to external devices, making the tracking process autonomous and eliminating the need for patients to manually log their administration.
2Reliability
If separate devices are used for insulin delivery and glucose monitoring, then each device can be optimized for its specific function, but integration and data sharing become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drug delivery device with glucose monitoring capabilities into an integrated system. The device incorporates both insulin delivery mechanisms and glucose sensing functions, allowing seamless data sharing and coordinated control between previously separate functions, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining specialized performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The drug delivery device is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as an insulin delivery platform and a glucose monitoring system. This universal design allows the single device to perform multiple therapeutic and monitoring functions, reducing the number of separate devices needed while maintaining optimized performance for each specific function through specialized components within the integrated system.
3Measurement precision
If automated tracking systems are implemented, then data accuracy and compliance monitoring improve, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual tracking systems with streamlined electronic sensors and processors that automatically detect and record injection events. By using simple sensor-based detection mechanisms rather than complex user-input systems, the device achieves high data accuracy while keeping the overall system complexity manageable through automated rather than manual processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances diabetes management by automating insulin delivery tracking, improving patient compliance, and reducing the need for manual logs, while being applicable to other drug delivery applications, such as pain management and arthritis treatment.
Implementation Method 1
The inertial sensor is connected to the housing and in electronic communication with the microprocessor so that the microprocessor is able to determine from output signals of the inertial sensor as to whether the housing has been shaken back and forth a predetermined number of times along the longitudinal axis to mix the one or more drugs disposed in the cartridge
Implementation Method 2
The radio-frequency-identification tag is coupled to the drug cartridge and configured to store information selected from a group including type of drug(s) in the cartridge, volume of drug in the cartridge, expiration date, batch date, lot number, manufacturer identification or combinations thereof
Data Source
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AI summary
Various embodiments of a "smart" drug delivery pen are provided which include a drug delivery pen having an inertial sensor or accelerometer. A system is also provided that includes the smart drug pen in conjunction with a data management unit(s) DMU. Various exemplary methods for use of the pens and systems are also described and illustrated.